Internal-combustion engine



Oct. 18. 1927. E R BURTNETT INTERNAL COMBUSTI ON ENGINE Filed Nov. 5. 1924 Patented Oct. 18, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

EVERETT R. BURTNETT, OF LOS. ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND LIESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE AUTOMOTIVE VALVES (10., OF LOS ANGELES, CALI- FORNIA, A VOLUNTARY TRUST.

INTERNALCOMBUSTION ENGINE.

Application filed November 3, 1924. Serial No. 747,442.

My invention relates generally to internal combustion engines of the type disclosed in U.- S. Letters Patent No. 1,501,393 issued July 15, 1924 to me and my assignee,,Homer l A. Brunell, the principal object of my invention being, to provide, in the head of the combustion cylinders of the eng ne, which cylinders are arranged so that their axes are angularly disposed with respect to each other, a combined compression and combustion chamber, that connects and functions as a common clearance space for the chamhere within the combustion cylinders and within which common clearance space, the combined residual and fresh gaseous fuel charge is caused to be highly agitated, thereby effecting a thorough and intimate mixture of said residual and fresh gaseous fuel throughout the compression stroke of the pistons Within 'the two combustion cylinand, further, the thorough mixture of the residual products of combustion and fresh fuel gases will tend to decrease combustion temperatures and, consequently, reduce the tendency of the charge to detonate.

To accomplish the desired results, I form Within the head of the engine a substantially oval chamber that is common to the angularly disposed chambers of the engine and locate one charge igniting device immediately adjacent to the compressed fuel charge outlet from the combustion chamber to Which the fresh fuel charge is inducted, and another igniting device being' located in the upper portion of the turbulence chamber. This arrangement accomplishes a satisfactory and uniform firing of the fuel charge at all times, regardless of load or gaseous fuel mixture ratio to the volume of residual gases remaining in the combined combustion cylinders and clearance as an initial volume. Since the relatively small quantity of fresh gaseous fuel needed for idling. or for light after i nition will be materially increased load operation Will be inducted and remain in a stratum directly over the piston ofv the cylinder in-Which the inlet ports are located, and as said small quantity of gaseous fuel Will not reach the vicinityhof the clearance chamber Where the charge is being agitated,

until the very end of the compression stroke and at the time of ignition of the gaseous fuel charge, the flow of clean gaseous fuel Will be undiluted by the relatively great volume of residual gases remaining in the cylinder at light loads and pass directly across the ignition device that is'located at the opening between the cylinder having the Iionlet ports and the common clearance cham- \Vhen the engine load is increasedandany appreciable volume of fresh fuel is inducted 1n proper ratio to the residual volume, the gaseous mixture excepting the small quantity located directly over the piston Within the chamber having the fuel inlet ports will enter the clearance chamber as early, during the compression stroke of the pistons, as the ratio of inducted charge of gaseous fuel is in volume to the total piston displacement. Hence, as the engine load is increased and the gaseous fuel charge volume increases,

a relative and properly proportioned in-- crease'and mixtureof the gaseous fuel With the residual gaseswill be produced in the common clearance and combustion chamber, and Which mixturewill be ignited by. the:

sparks'produced by the ignition device that V is'seated in the cylinder head directly above the main body. portion of the turbulence chamber. y lVith the foregoing and'other objects in View, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts that will be hereinafter morefully describedand claimed and. illustrated in the accompanying drawingslin which: =Fig. 1 is a vertical sectiontaken' length- Wise through the axes of the three radially arranged cylinders of my. improved engine and With the head of the two combustion cyL inders provided with the-common clearance and turbulence chamber contemplated by my invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal line 22of' Fig. 1.,- v 7 -Referring by'numerals to the a'c corr'lpany ing drawings, and 11 designate respectively the upper andilower partszof the crank case, the end walls thereof being provided with'suit-able bearings for a shaft 12 having two throws or cranks 13 and 14.

are radially arranged relative to the crank shaft 12.

Cylinder-16, which is the second cylinder in the direction ofcrankshaft rotation, oc

' cupies a substantially vertical position lirectlyabove the axis of the crank shaft and cylinder 15. which is the first cylinder in the direction of crank shaft rotation occupies an angular position immediately to the side of said cylinder 16. p

- Formed integral with, or fixed to the head ends of the radially disposed combustion cylinders 15 and 16 isa head block 17, the wall of"which :is formed with cooling fluid circulationchambers 18 that are preferably in 7 communication n with similar chambers 19, that are formed in the upper; portions of the walls of cylinders 15 and 16. t

' Formed in head block'17 and between the head ends of I the combustion chambers 20 and 21 within the cylinders 15 and 16 is a chamber 22 that is substantially oval in form, and which functions as a common clearance and turbulence chamber for thetwo combustion chambers 20 and 21 Leading from the upper end of chamber 20 into the lower portion of turbulence chamber 22, is a short horizontally; disposed throat 23, thesa-me being tangentially disposed with respect to the lower portion of the turbulence chamber, and formed between theupper portion of the inner end of this throat and; the corresponding end of turbulence chamber 22- is an inwardly projecting lip or flange 24.

Leadingfrom the uppenportion ofcombustion chamber 21 upwardly and toward chamber 22is a short curvedthroat' 25 that is tangential with respect to the upper curved surface of theturbul ence chamber.

Seated in 7 head 17 immediately above this throat'25 is a spark plug26,the inner ends of the terminals of the electrodes of which project intosaid throat 25 at a point just above theupper end of the combustion chain ber 21. Seatedin head l'fabove the highest point within "the turbulence chamber 22 is a spark plug 27 the terminals of the electrodes of which project into the highest portion'of sjaid turbulence chamber 22. l

Cylinder 16 is provided with a gaseous fuelfinlet, port28, to which is connected a transfer'du'ct 29th'at leadsfrom apumping cylinder, such asBO.

"For a more complete understanding of the construction and operation of the engine to nected to the lower portion of rod 32 which my improved turbulence head is ap plied, reference may be had to my patent hereinbefore referred to.

13 bya connecting rod 32. Cylinder-2O is provided with exhaust-ports '33,"and arranged for operation within the chamber in said cylinder is a piston 34 that is conby a connecting rod 35. V

Gaseous fuel inlet. ports 2 8 and exhaust portsi33 are located so that they areuncovered and open while the pistons 31 an'd 34.- -are atthe lowcr'or outer ends of their stroke, and when so positioned acharge of fresh. gaseous fuel enters inlet port28 from the pumping cylinder that serves the connected" pair of combustion. cylinders '15 a and 16, and this fuel charge; passes upwardly through chamber 21, thence through hroat into turbulence chamber 22, thence through throat 23 into'and through combustion chamber 20 and in thus'i'passing throughthe combustion chambers and the turbulence chamber said charge of gaseous fuel will drive. before it a substantial portion of the products of combustionremain ing in the combustion chambers frfoin the previously ignited charge and theseburnt gases and products of combustion Will be forced out through the exhaust port 33.

Inlet port 28 and exhausaport '33 are closed shortly after the-pistons -31 and-34 start on theirinward or upwardtravel,

and the gaseous fuel chargeadmitted to the connected combustion chambersan'd-the' turbulence chamberwill be forced into the latter and compressed therein as;,the combust on pistons move to the upper or innor ends of their stroke.

.As piston 31 movesu ward or inward {the gaseous fuelcharge wi 1 be forced through throat 251nto the upper portionv of the turbulence chamber, and due to the oval shape of the latter the gases will be caused to whirl within; said chamber, and ,this

whirling agitation or turbulence is enhanced by the gaseous fuel charge and residual products of such combustionthatare forced upwardly. throughthroat 23 by 'the upwardly movingj piston 34, with the result that the inducted charge of fresh fuel will be thoroughly mixed with the residual products of combustion and compressed within 7 the turbulence chamber during the entire upwardor inward travel of the pistons 31 f and-34;. c H

'At the point of highest compression, or as tlIB PIStOIIS pass their high-centers, sparks will be produced sjmultaneouslyibetween the i inner ends, ofthe electrodes-ofjplugs -263ml 27 thereby ignitingthe compressedegaseou's fuel charge at two different points;soasto insure rapid flame propagation through the compressed gases and the rise in pressure following combustion of the compressed charge will be directed against the heads of pistons 31 and 34 to move the same downward on their power stroke.

The location of a spark plug in the throat 25 insures ignition of the compressed gaseous fuel charge while the engine is idling or running with light loads for as gaseous fuel is admitted to chamber 21 Within which piston 31 is located, a stratum of comparatively rich and undiluted gaseous fuel will always remain directly over the head of said piston, and this stratum is the last to enter the throat25 while piston 31. is at top center.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a relatively simple, practical and efficient turbulence head for a two stroke cycle internal combustion engine, wherein the combustion cylinders occupy angular positions with respect to each other or where the upper ends of the combustion cylinders are spaced a greater distance apart than their lower ends. It will be understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various parts may be made in my invention as shown and described without departing from the spirit thereof, and within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a two stroke cycle internal combustion engine, a pair of combustion cylinders, one arranged directly in front of the other in the direction of crank rotation of said engine, one of said cylinders having a gas eous fuel inlet port, the other cylinder having an exhaust port, a head closing the chambers within said cylinders, a substantially oval-shaped chamber formed in said head above and between the upper ends of leading from the side of the combustion chamber in the cylinder having the gaseous fuel inlet ports to the adjacent end of the oval-shaped chamber in the head and there being a relatively short horizontally dis-- posed duct formed in the underside of the head and leading from the upper end of the combustion chamber having the exhaustport to the lower central portion of said oval-shaped chamber in the cylinder head.

2. In a two stroke cycle internal combustion engine, a pair of combustion cylinders, one arranged directly in front of the other in the direction of crank rotation of said engine, one of said cylinders having a gaseous fuel inlet port, the other cylinder having an exhaust port, a head closing the chambers within said cylinders, a substantially oval-shaped chamber formed in said head above and between the upper ends of the combustion chambers, there being an up wardlycurved duct formed in said head and leading from the side of the combustion chamber in the cylinder having the gaseous fuel. inlet ports to the adjacent end of the oval-shaped chamber in the head, ignition means seated in the head andprojecting into said duct, there being a relatively short horizontally disposed duct formed in the underside of the head and leading from the upper end of the combustion chamber having the exhaust port to the lower central portion of said oval-shaped chamber in the cylinder head and ignition means seated in the head and projecting into the end of the ovalshaped chamberdirectly above the inner end of said short' duct.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

EVERETT R. BURTNETT. 

